The present invention relates to packages for dispensing medicaments in pill form. More specifically, the invention relates to a novel child resistant compact case for sorting and dispensing pills in blister packs.
The blister packs in which medicaments in pill form are housed usually consists of a plurality of pockets wherein each pocket has a frangible wall so that the pills can be dispensed through the package by pushing them against the frangible wall. The blister pack is usually housed in an outer package or case having a discharge opening through which the pills can be dispensed one at a time. Some of these package arrangements are provided with some sort of locking mechanism to limit access to the package and particularly children. It has been found that these prior systems are either cumbersome or are not truly child resistant or child tamper proof.
With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a package or case for medicaments which is of relatively simple design and is easy and economical to manufacture and is truly child resistant. To this end, in accordance with the present invention, the case or package comprises a cover and a base which may be made of a plastic material and which are connected to one another along a living hinge which normally biases the cover to an open position. In the present instance, the base has a series of openings corresponding with and of the same configuration or array as the pills in a blister pack so that the pills of the blister pack overlie an opening in the base. In this manner when the cover is open, a user can dispense one pill at a time by simply pressing on the pocket of the pill and displacing it through the opening in the base and in the process fracturing the frangible wall of the blister pack.
In the present instance, the cover and base are of generally rectangular shape wherein the cover and base are pivotally connected by the living hinge along one longitudinal back edge. Means is provided for locking the cover to the base in a closed position which is truly child resistant. To this end pivotal latching members are formed in the opposing side or end walls of the base having lips with a beveled or tapered top face. A latching member is also provided in the front wall of the base. The lips of the end wall latching members are aligned with and engagable through openings in the cover so that when the cover is in the closed position, the lip seats on the edge of the opening in the cover so that the latching lips on opposing ends snugly embraces the edge of the opening in the cover and the latching lip on the front wall is slightly spaced upwardly from the edge of the opening in the cover along the front edge.
Accordingly, by this construction, when an adult user desires to open the cover to access the blister pill pack and dispense a pill, the end latching members are pressed inwardly which pivots the lip out of engagement with the edge in the opening of the cover whereby the living hinge pivots the cover upwardly until the lip on the front edge engages the edge of the opening in the front edge of the cover. The front latching member must be pressed in to release the lip and pivot the cover to a full open position in order to access the pill medicaments. Accordingly, it is clear that the latching arrangement of the present invention is truly child resistant because of the complex maneuvers required to fully open the cover. For example, the end latching members require simultaneous activation and are often spaced apart a distance so they can""t be bridged by the small hand of a child. Further, even if the end latches are activated, it also requires the solving of the front edge latch.